Michigan

Antonio McDyess, the NBA's biggest bargain

Marc Stein gives Detroit Piston Antonio McDyess a lot of praise in the most recent editition of ESPN's Weekend Dime.

March 21, ESPN: Is there a bigger NBA bargain than Antonio McDyess right now? Twice in his past five games entering the weekend, McDyess had pulled in at least 20 rebounds at the age of 34.

That would be the same McDyess who forfeited nearly $9 million in remaining salary to convince Denver to buy him out after being traded to the Nuggets in the Allen Iverson deal ... and the same McDyess who agreed to re-sign with the Pistons for a prorated share of the league's veteran minimum when he was eligible to get a two-year deal from Detroit starting at $1.9 million.

Dice's new salary-cap number for the Pistons is a mere $600,532, which helped Detroit create an extra $2 million in savings against the cap for this summer thanks to the league's complicated formula for calculating cap holds for a team's own free agents.

McDyess confirms that 18 teams contacted him during his hiatus, and that he almost signed with Cleveland and the Lakers. But Antonio felt a sense of loyalty to Detroit, and specifically Joe Dumars.

...[McDyess] remembered how Pistons president Joe Dumars signed him to a four-year, $23 million deal in the summer of 2004 after McDyess was inactive for nearly two years because of a long-term knee problem.

"Honestly, when I first got traded, I knew I didn't want to go to Denver," McDyess said. "I just felt like, hey, whatever I had to do, I'd rather just stay where I'm comfortable...I did have a lot of choices. Every team you can imagine. You're probably going to ask me why didn't you go to one of those teams -- one was Cleveland and [another was] the Lakers. ... But Joe wanted me back, so I came back. I felt like repaying the favor."

And he has repaid any "favor" that may have been owed, and more. If there is one player on the Pistons that seems to bring everything he has every night, it's Antonio McDyess. So while some wish Antonio would have accepted one of the offers from Los Angeles or Cleveland, so he could have a better chance to acquire that elusive NBA Title ring, McDyess has no regrets and likes it in Detroit. Piston fans are glad to have him.